In news today, President Obama implies that faith used as a tool to divide people is being mis-used and says there is no faith in the world that is based on hatred.
Will he then note that Islam states in no uncertain terms (Sura 98:6) that "those who disbelieve, among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, will abide in fire of hell. They are the worst of created beings"? This is a faith which clearly divides people from each other based on its foundations. How about 48:29, "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves…" Is that not a clear call to hatred? Are these verses and others not used daily to call for hate, violence and oppression against non-Muslims?
These facts cannot be honestly denied. Will he then conclude that Islam as a faith cannot be properly used, or will he conclude that Islam doesn't fit his definition of a faith at all? The logical contortions must be uncomfortable.
No, I don't think we can expect him to take A and B and follow them to C. But it would be interesting to put him in a position where he can no longer deny the facts and see how he reacts to them.
¶ 2/05/2009 11:05:00 AM2 comments

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